Ebony Fleming and her children see the inside of the furnished home for the first time Thursday in Jacksonville.

Single-parent Ebony Fleming and her six children thought they were going to a final walk-through of their Habitat for Humanity of Jacksonville house before moving in.

They thought they would be moving into a renovated but unfurnished, 1,400-square-foot house on the Westside with little more than their clothes and sleeping bags for beds.

But that planned walk-through was a fib.

When they arrived Thursday morning, they were greeted by a horde of media and Habitat staffers and Warrick Dunn, the former Florida State University and NFL running back who has an Atlanta-based charity. He told them he had a big surprise in the house.

When he slowly escorted Fleming, 31, and her children through the front door, they were stunned to see that the house they had only seen as empty had been transformed into a fully furnished home. Each bedroom was furnished and designed with the favorite colors and activities of its occupants in mind. The kitchen was fully equipped and stocked with food, down to pancake mix and Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes. There was a washer and dryer inside and lawn equipment outside.

Ebony Fleming, a post-closing specialist for Bank of America for six years, said the family was living with her mother. They had moved from place to place, but Fleming’s credit history and low income barred her from home ownership.

But she got help from Habitat, which has a zero-interest mortgage program for people who meet certain requirements, including stable employment and monthly income. She could pay the monthly mortgage payment.

Unbeknownst to her, Habitat submitted her name to Warrick Dunn Charities’ Homes for the Holidays program, which helps single-parent families who are becoming first-time homeowners. The nonprofit provides downpayment assistance and fills their homes with everything needed.

The Fleming house was the charity’s first in Jacksonville and 121st overall. The value of the project totaled $30,000, including furnishings donated by Aaron’s and the $5,000 downpayment from Dunn’s charity, which will reduce her monthly mortgage payment.

“This is over and beyond ... A real true blessing,” she said. “This was a long way coming. A stepping stone for other things to happen in my life.”

She plans to go back to college and become a registered nurse.

“I’m so excited,” she said. “I’m stable. It’s a start!”

Dunn said he started the charity to honor his mother, a police officer who was killed in a robbery when he was 18. She also was a single parent with six children who never realized her dream of home ownership, largely because of her inability to save enough money for a downpayment, Dunn said.

“This means a lot,” he said. “This is a reality for Ebony and her family.”